Tape clamp



y 4, 1967 c. R. SELLEN ETAL 3,

TAPE CLAMP Filed Oct. 22, 1965 INVENTO FIG. 2 wmwoi BY 8 4 M United States Patent 3,329,045 TAPE CLAMP Carl R. Sellen, Paramus, N.J., and Francesco Collura,

New York, N.Y., assignors to Keuffel & Esser Company, Hoboken, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,226 3 Claims. (Cl. 81-3) The present invention relates to a measuring tape clamp of the type adapted to receive a measuring tape so that a surveyor may produce the proper tension on the tape at an end or at an intermediate location.

Heretofore, measuring tape clamps have been available in which operating handles are pivoted together with clamping jaw surfaces adapted to tightly engage a tape, but the weight of the previously used clamps have been excessive, and the jaws became worn in use rendering the clamps unusable after relatively short periods, and the heavy construction made it diflicult to maintain a uniform clamping action since a small movement of the handles would release the tape, and therefore the user had to exert excessive pressures. Further, the prior tape clamps had finger receiving apertures which were difiicult to use and prevented the effective use of the entire hand, and therefore, the handles were made irregular to assist the gripping action by the hand resulting in callousproducing ridges in the handle.

An object of the present invention is to provide a measuring tape clamp which overcomes the objections of the prior art and provides for uniform tension on the tape, even though the positions of the handle vary during use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lightweight tape clamp of rugged design which will remain useful for extended periods of time.

Another object is to provide a tape clamp having replaceable jaws and a lightweight resilient jaw supporting handle structure.

Other and further objects will be apparent as the description proceeds and upon reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective showing the tape clamp in open position with a measuring tape in position to be clamped.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation showing the tape clamp in clamping relation on a measuring tape.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevation with parts broken away showing the replaceable jaws and the keying arrangement of the link to one jaw.

FIGURE 4 is an end elevation with parts broken away and in section showing the jaws in clamping relation cor- I responding to the position of FIGURE 2.

FIGURES 5, 6, and 7 are side elevations, end elevation, and bottom view, respectively, of one of the jaws of T-shape detached from the handles.

FIGURE 8 is a section taken on line 88 of FIGURE 2.

Briefly, the present invention includes a pair of handles connected at one end by a U-shaped link which is fixed to one handle and pivotally connected to the other on only one side of the handles to permit lateral insertion of the tape with replaceable jaws coacting to produce a camming and clamping effect of a second class lever when the handles are moved together. Each handle includes a shank and a hand grip with a trigger-like lug extending outwardly and toward the link end of the clamp for cooperation with the trigger finger of a user, and each handle also has a flange which overlaps the other handle to retain the tape in substantial alignment with the handles so the tape is effectively received between the clamping shoes forming the jaws of the tape clamp. The clamping shoes or jaws are made of hardened steel, while the handles are made of relativley light and resilient alumi- 3,329,045 Patented July 4, 1967 num, whereby a springing action is obtained so the user has substantial latitude in the precise positioning of the handles during the clamping action.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the tape clamp includes substantially identical first and second handles, each having a solid shank 10 at one end and a tapering hand engaging portion 11 at the other end with an outwardly extending lug 12 of trigger shape located between the shank and the hand grip gripping portion. A U-shaped link 13 connects the shank end of the handles by means of shouldered pins 14 riveted into apertures in the link with each pin having a threaded bore for receiving a retaining screw 15 to retain the handles in operative position by means of the pin receiving bores in the shanks as clearly shown in FIGURE 4. A slot transverse to the pins 14 is provided in the outer end of the shank with the slot terminating in a straight inner edge 16 substantially perpendicular to the inner surface of the shank.

A clamping shoe or jaw of T-shape includes a stem flange 17 provided with a pin receiving aperture 18 for receiving the pin 14 and a tape engaging cross arm or jaw 19 of a size to snugly fit against the inner surface of the slotted portion of the shank with the stem flange 17 received in the slot, thereby preventing relative movement of the jaw 19 with respect to the handle in which it is mounted. A cylindrical key 20 passes through aligned keying apertures in the U-shaped link 13 and the adjacent portion 21 of the shank end of the lower handle shown in the drawing, and such key is held in position by friction and riveting to prevent relative movement between the lower handle 11 and the link 13 whereby the upper handle pivots freely about its pin 14.

The outer surface of the handle 11 has the shank por tion and the heel portion 22 in substantially a straight line in alignment with the portion of the shank against which the flat side of the jaw 19 engages and such handle is open intermediate the shank and the heel end 22, but a flange 23 is provided on one side of each handle to provide a confining inner surface for the tape 24 with each flange flaring from the inner surface of the shank toward the heel end of the lever and then flaring at a smaller degree toward the heel end and then tapering toward the heel thereby providing a guiding flange which effectively overlaps the other side of the cooperating handle 11 as shown in FIGURE 2.

To illustrate the relative strengths of the material, the handles are made of die cast aluminum, the link is made of hardened steel, the pins are of cold rolled steel, and the clamping jaws are made of cold rolled steel which has been case hardened. The structure is such that when a tape 24 is to be received for clamping action, the user can guide the tape into the space between the legs of the U-shaped link 13 and between the jaws and then move the handles to substantial alignment with the tape 24 and then grip the handles to cause the clamping jaws 19 to engage the tape, and due to the resiliency of the aluminum, a yieldable pressure can be obtained, permitting appreciable variation in the force required by the hand of the user while still maintaining the proper clamping action, and the trigger finger engaging the trigger-like lug 12 prevents the handle from being pulled out of the users hand and also any reaction on the trigger increases the force of clamping since the point of engagement of the trigger finger against the lug 12 is substantially eccentric to the pivot pin 14.

It will be apparent that the guiding flanges with the taper therein and the open space in the handle between the shank 10 and the heel 22 substantially eliminate any possibility of a scissors action of the clamp handles on the tape and therefore kinking of the tape is effectively avoided. Also, due to the open structure of the handles and due to transverse apertures 26, the resiliency of the 3 handles is effectively maintained while the strength is increased for the weight of the material of which the structure is made.

It will be apparent that the tape clamp provides for ready application and removal from a measuring tape and provides for extended periods of service which can further be extended by replacement of the T-shaped clamping jaws.

What is claimed is:

1. A tape clamp comprising substantially identical first and second handles each having a solid shank at one end and a hand engaging portion at the other end, a U-shaped link positioned with its legs extending in the direction of theshank ends, means connecting one leg to the shank end of one handle, and means pivotally connecting the other leg to the shank end of the other handle, one end of each shank having a slot transverse to the pivotal axis extending inwardly from said one end, a T-shaped tape clamping jaw mounted by its stern in the slot in the shank of each handle, the cross arm of each T-shaped jaw providing a tape engaging cam surface facing the tape engaging cam surface of the other jaw, the tape engaging cam surface of the other handle being eccentric to its pivot, a trigger shaped lug extending outwardly from each shank for engagement by a finger of the user, the outer surface of the hand engaging portion of each handle between its shank and the free end being smooth and free of callous producing projections and tapering toward its free end, a flange projecting inwardly on one side of each handle adapted to overlap the other side of the other handle providing a confining surface for the adjacent edge of the tape, each flange flaring from the inner surface of the shank end of its handle to the full width of the flange and then tapering toward the free end, said flanges providing the major inner portion of the hand engaging portions of the handles, the free ends of said handles including the flanges being openable for free lateral insertion of the tape to be clamped between the clamping jaws and the handles, the flanges serving to guide the tape in hte proper position free of any damaging scissors action on the tape during the insertion and clamping action.

2. A tape clamp comprising first and second handles, each having a shank at one end and a hand engaging portion at the other end, a link connecting one shank to the other, said link being pivotally connected at one end to at least one of said shanks, a tape clamping jaw on each shank, each of said jaws having a tape engaging cam surface, the tape engaging cam surface of one jaw facing the tape engaging cam surface of the other jaw, the cam engaging surface of said at least one shank being eccentric to its pivot, a trigger shaped lug extending outwardly from each shank for engagement by a finger of the user, each hand engaging portion of each handle between its shank and free end having a smooth hand engaging exten'or tapering toward its innersurface.

3. A tape clamp comprising first and second handles, each having a shank at one end and a hand engaging portion at the other end, a link connecting one shank to the other shank, said link being pivotally connected at one end to at least one of said shanks, a tape engaging clamping jaw on each shank, each jaw having a tape engaging cam surface, the tape engaging cam surface of one jaw facing the tape engaging cam surface of the other jaw, the cam engaging surface of said at least one handle being eccentric to its pivot, said link being of U-shape with the free ends of the legs extending in the same direction as the shank ends whereby a tape can readily be positioned within said jaws being guided by the legs of said link between the jaws.

- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,809,068 6/1931 Roth 8l-3 OTHELL' M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TAPE CLAMP COMPRISING SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL FIRST AND SECOND HANDLES EACH HAVING A SOLID SHANK AT ONE END AND A HAND ENGAGING PORTION AT THE OTHER END, A U-SHAPED LINK POSITIONED WITH ITS LEGS EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE SHANK ENDS, MEANS CONNECTING ONE LEG TO THE SHANK END OF ONE HANDLE, AND MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE OTHER LEG TO THE SHANK END OF THE OTHER HANDLE, ONE END OF EACH SHANK HAVING A SLOT TRANSVERSE TO THE PIVOTAL AXIS EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM SAID ONE END, A T-SHAPED TAPE CLAMPING JAW MOUNTED BY ITS STEM IN THE SLOT IN THE SHANK OF EACH HANDLE, THE CROSS ARM OF EACH T-SHAPED JAW PROVIDING A TAPE ENGAGING CAM SURFACE FACING THE TAPE ENGAGING CAM SURFACE OF THE OTHER JAW, THE TAPE ENGAGING CAM SURFACE OF THE OTHER HANDLE BEING ECCENTRIC TO ITS PIVOT, A TRIGGER SHAPED LUG EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM EACH SHANK FOR ENGAGEMENT BY A FINGER OF THE USER, THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE HAND ENGAGING PORTION OF EACH HANDLE BETWEEN ITS SHANK AND THE FREE END BEING SMOOTH AND FREE OF CALLOUS PRODUCING PROJECTIONS AND TAPERING TOWARD ITS FREE END, A FLANGE PROJECTING INWARDLY ON ONE SIDE OF EACH HANDLE ADAPTED TO OVERLAP THE OTHER SIDE OF THE OTHER HANDLE PROVIDING A CONFINING SURFACE FOR THE ADJACENT EDGE OF THE TAPE, EACH FLANGE FLARING FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SHANK END OF ITS HANDLE TO THE FULL WIDTH OF THE FLANGE AND THEN TAPERING TOWARD THE FREE END, SAID FLANGES PROVIDING THE MAJOR INNER PORTION OF THE HAND ENGAGING PORTIONS OF THE HANDLES, THE FREE ENDS OF SAID HANDLES INCLUDING THE FLANGES BEING OPENABLE FOR FREE LATERAL INSERTION OF THE TAPE TO BE CLAMPED BETWEEN THE CLAMPING JAWS AND THE HANDLES, THE FLANGES SERVING TO GUIDE THE TAPE IN THE PROPER POSITION FREE OF ANY DAMAGING SCISSORS ACTION ON THE TAPE DURING THE INSERTION AND CLAMPING ACTION. 